Here’s an updated wish list for one of my top suggestions for donating and supporting a great cause at the same time. If you’re in the PDX area, please keep them in mind when doing your Fall clearing. Click here to find out more about the organization, locations and activities. Thank you! And cheers to getting clear!
My Feb Enews featured a shout out to Do Good shelters. The Portland agency continues to serve as a major source of housing and resources for the community. Here’s an update of their specific needs. Those of you in the PDX area, please keep them in mind as you clear out stuff or help friends/family clear theirs. Contact me with any questions and/or delivery help. Click here to read more features from the latest Enews.
Men’s clothes:
Pants sizes 30 through 40
Shirts all sizes
Coats all sizes
Men’s shoes
Belts
Backpacks/duffel bags
Used cell phones – working order, factory reset so all prior data is erased and no lock codes on them.
Home goods and furniture at limited capacity – lamps, artwork type of wall hangings for folks who are moving into permanent housing, things to make the transition cozier!
Thanks to all who donated to the Do Good garden project this Spring. The residents really dug creating their own mini gardens and raised beds. Take a look at the results and view the property’s latest wish list. Also, read about the surprising delight of a kiwi that came my way, get a tip on cleaning products and learn about the elevating energy of rose. Have a clear day everyone! Read all about it in the latest ACP Enews.
The latest ACP Enews includes segments about: Sam Cooke’s timeless A Change is Gonna Come; a gifted Earth loving artist from Boulder, CO; the latest from EWG and three vignettes about the neighbors on my floor. Wherever this time finds you – now more than ever, it’s SO important to find ways to share your story. To listen. To act. To offer help. To find the humor. To embrace change. And to come from a clear place – one that is based on understanding and compassion. Stay safe and stay connected! View here.
When a business combines a handcrafted product with a wonderful mission and does it with heart, humor and dedication – THAT is a clear winner. Congratulations to Sarah Bellum’s Bakery & Workshop for being the ACP Winner for 2019. If you live in the PDX area, put this place on your must visit list. If you’re not local, you can still find out about their work and how you can help them raise awareness about brain injuries. Read all about it: https://festiveheart.com/2019/06/14/cupcakes-for-a-cause/.
Whew! Lots of bad news going around these days. But there’s plenty of good stuff, too. Starting with a recent cover from The New Yorker, I talk about tending the garden that is your heart. I also share a personal story about my Dad and suggest a way that you can focus your good energy and really make a difference in the world. I even threw in a little green tip on mighty arugula. Take a moment and read the June issue of ACP Enews.
Here’s to making it a good news day everyday!
Illustration by Tom Gauld courtesy of TNY.
Here’s a repurpose opportunity that you’ll want to know about. Mother Nature Network shared an article a few days ago about the amazing results being achieved by Wands for Wildlife. Since first putting out the ask in 2017, thousands of folks around the globe have donated used mascara wands so they can be repurposed and used at the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge. How cool is that?! In addition to receiving used wands from individuals, the program has also gotten donations from TV show make-up departments and new, discontinued wands from cosmetic companies. That’s clear, community spirit at work!
Photo Credit: Baby Opossum gets a cleaning. Appalachian Wildlife Refuge.
Sounds like a joke set-up but it’s not. Last month, I witnessed a guy get into a dumpster and close the lid. He didn’t come out. After 30 minutes, I called the police thinking what if he was sick, wounded, dying? Two squad cars responded within 5 minutes and he turned out to be none of those. But he was clearly disheveled, disturbed and in trouble. This incident weighed on my heart. How does one get to such a low point in life as to seek refuge in a dumpster? More importantly, what could I or anyone do to help? The mental health system continues to be overwhelmed. Police are getting special training in counseling and intervention. Street drugs have become the norm. Homelessness has arrived at our doorstep. So again, what can be done to help? I called back the police to thank them for their quick response and to ask what they suggest if a citizen wants to help in prevention or solution? The answer? 211. Ever hear of it? Me neither. Apparently, a lot of folks don’t know about it including my neighbors, my dentist, his assistant and pretty much anyone I’ve talked with in the last few weeks. 211 is the 911 for resources. Everything from suicide to abuse to hunger to shelter to senior needs and paying bills. It’s a clearinghouse for 50k programs and over 3k agencies across the nation and Canada. Anyone can call the 211 hotline and talk to an operator who is trained to listen and provide appropriate connections. Part of the 211 manifesto reads: WE BELIEVE in the transformative power of collective action. So do I. Please share this number. Visit 211.org to learn more about services and volunteering opportunities in your local community. Shine the light!
Here’s the Facebook page for the Oregon area.
This is a special day for me and I celebrate it with you by sharing what is closest to my heart. Clearing the way to what blocks us from love is a journey within that each of us must discover – but life offers teachers along the way. Here’s a toast to all of those teachers in their varied shapes and sizes. And here’s to breaking through barriers. See you on the flip side! Click here to read about my two very special teachers and learn about an organization that is cutting through barriers in urban territory.
What a week I’m having! If 2017 has been as full of angst for you as it has been for most of us, you’ll enjoy the suggestions in my December Enews. This issue features a nod to laughter, seasonal donation opportunity, help from a fellow blogger, favorite product tip and a first time offer for 30% OFF A Clear Place Wisdom Cards. Here’s to lightening the load with humor … and a bright holiday for all! View the good stuff now.
A Clear Place 